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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25832575">Line of Succession</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/themetrocourt/pseuds/themetrocourt'>themetrocourt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>General Hospital (TV 1963)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Multi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:27:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,437</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25832575</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/themetrocourt/pseuds/themetrocourt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"You were always supposed to be there to protect my daughter." The night Marcus Taggert dies, threads begin to be pulled, threatening to spill out a secret that has held firm for over a decade.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gia Campbell/Nikolas Cassadine, Trina Robinson/Cameron Webber</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Obviously this totally AU and starts with the death of Marcus Taggert. But for a while SoapTwitter was having fun with this premise. I thought I would expand it and have some fun with it. If you like this, please let me know.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This is a bittersweet homecoming - if you can even call it that.</p>
<p>Gia isn't sure how to label it . After all, Port Charles had been her home for only a brief period and when she looks at it in comparison to everywhere else, it should only be a blip on her timeline. Yet, she knows that those few years have impacted her life more than any others. She figures that is, in part, why she feels so heavy as she leans against the seat in her Uber.</p>
<p>The other half of it is all too obvious.</p>
<p>She is watching the city whip by (trying to pick out what is the same and what is different; not an easy game to play given the speed of the car) when her phone rings. She closes her eyes, already knowing the conversation she is about to have. Therefore she feels comfortable skipping the greeting and jumping right in. "I said a week, Paul. I meant a week too," she grinds out, annoyed that she has to have this conversation here and now.</p>
<p>"I am sorry. I know this is a rough time for you but the Martinez case is coming up and you know it better than anyone…"</p>
<p>Gia sighs, feeling that familiar pull that her professional life has on her begin to dig its hooks in. Only now they are gripping into a wounded heart. "My brother just died." Her voice raises a little, the words sound panicked as if she has to force them out before she chokes on them. She looks up and realizes that her driver is looking back to her now and she sees the beginnings of pity in his eyes. She hopes that they reach her destination sooner rather than later. She is in no mood for a stranger's sympathy. She turns her attention back to the conversation instead, not surprised to find Paul tripping over his tongue. "Look, I get it. I understand why you asked. We are swamped right now. But this is my <i>brother</i>…" She feels something catch in her chest and she worries that if she isn't careful she is going to be bent over sobbing. "...I need a week."</p>
<p>After Paul is quick to apologize and agree, she shuts off her phone. The only people that ever call her are her colleagues and Marcus. Finally the car begins to slow and then moves to a crawl. Gia presses her forehead against the window and looks up at the whitewashed walls of General Hospital. She can't quite remember what it looked like when she was a teenager but now she can tell it has seen better days. She frowns a little; as she remembers it, General Hospital is supposed to be the shining beacon in the center of Port Charles. This is certainly not it.</p>
<p>"Rush hour traffic," her driver explains, as if she has questioned why they are moving at a snail's pace.</p>
<p>"It's fine," she says and then she really means it. "Totally fine." She reaches down to grab the small suitcase that she has tucked at her feet. "I can just get out here." Before he can say anything else, she is already opening the door and stepping out into the late afternoon sun. "Thank you." She gives him her best impression of a smile and then she moves towards her goal, weaving in and out of the stilled traffic until she reaches the entrance to the hospital. Her suitcase bumps over the concrete of the parking lot and she wishes she had asked to go to her hotel before coming here.</p>
<p>But somehow that had seemed wrong. She should go to him first.</p>
<p>The inside of the hospital looks better than the outside, all sleek with clean white lines. She sees nothing familiar as she moves aimlessly through the halls. She really has no idea where she is supposed to be. She could ask but somehow the thought of inquiring after the body of her dead brother makes her feel sick to her stomach.</p>
<p>In the end, she gravitates towards a desk, watching the nurses move with purpose behind it. It is there that she finally sees something (or in this case, some<i>one</i>) familiar, although she hasn't been expecting to. "Elizabeth?" she blurts it out and her momentary surprise and confusion come through easily.</p>
<p>From behind the desk Elizabeth Webber looks up. It takes a second or two and then her eyebrows are sliding up her forehead. "Gia!"</p>
<p>Gia is at a loss for words (not something that happens often to a woman who makes her living off talking, sometimes for hours at once). She isn't sure what you are supposed to say to your old frenemy. Especially one who you haven't thought about (and who hasn't thought about you) in a long time. "I didn't realize you were a nurse…" She wrinkles her nose a little. Not the best of greetings but there it is.</p>
<p>Elizabeth nods her head a little. Her eyes roam over Gia, noting the suitcase she is hauling behind her. Then something in her features soften, and Gia can feel it already. Sympathy. She braces herself for it, knowing that it won't be the first or the last. "I am so sorry about your brother."</p>
<p>Gia's eyes fall close for only a moment and then she is the one nodding. Her movements are more exaggerated, as if she is trying to shake the grief from her body (unfortunately it is not that simple). "Portia said she would meet me here," Gia explains.</p>
<p>"I'll page her," Elizabeth offers and is quick to do it. Then she is stepping out from behind the desk, as if she feels the need to keep Gia company until her ex-sister-in-law arrives. "He came to see me - Taggert. Told me that you are an immigration lawyer now."</p>
<p>As much as she can appreciate the fact that they are leaning more heavily on the friends side than the enemy side, Gia just wants to get this over with. She wants to talk to Portia, then see her brother. Maybe after that, she can get some sleep. She is going on eighteen hours now and it is starting to show. Realizing she can just rush over the steps she doesn't want to deal with, she forces a hint of a smile. "Yes - a tough but rewarding job. Like a nurse I suppose."</p>
<p>"Yes," Elizabeth agrees.</p>
<p>Thankfully Portia arrives and the two of them can go back to their separate corners (where they will no doubt wonder how they should feel about seeing one another again). Gia lifts her hand a little. "Thank you, Elizabeth."</p>
<p>She waits until she is in Portia's office to hug the other woman. The two of them come together in the middle of the room, gripping one another tight. Gia can feel her grief wanting to spill over (not yet, <i>not yet</i>). She takes a deep breath and pulls back. "How's Trina?" she asks and right now that is the most important piece of information she can have. She sees the way Portia's features flare and then fall - the very mention of Trina's name having that effect.</p>
<p>"She's brokenhearted," Portia says quietly. "She just lost her daddy. The most important man she has ever known."</p>
<p>Gia has too. She doesn't say it aloud because she knows Portia knows. Instead she focuses on Trina. "I want to see her," she says quietly.</p>
<p>"Of course," Portia says after a pause. "She's staying with a friend right now while I am here wrapping things up so I can take the next few days off. There is the funeral to plan and…" She trails off when she notices the look on Gia's face. "You're welcome to help."</p>
<p>Gia doesn't like the way Portia says it, as if she is being invited into the situation as an afterthought. She shakes her head. "There will be a lot to do, Portia," she points out. She has gone through this before (all by herself as it were). "Let me take some things off your hands so you can spend more time with Trina. She'll need you." Something in her twists as she says it. "But first, I want to see him."</p>
<p>Portia's face falls. "Gia…"</p>
<p>"I <i>need</i> to see him, Portia," Gia reiterates. Her tone of voice is proof that she will dig her heels in if needed.</p>
<p>Wisely, Portia doesn't argue. Instead she grabs her ID off her desk.</p>
<p>"Can I leave this here for now?" Gia asks, indicating her suitcase. It feels wrong to drag with her to say her goodbye. She tucks it into the corner of the room and steels herself for what is about to happen.</p>
<p>Portia takes her into the depths of General Hospital. She has a feeling they are underground now but she doesn't ask. It seems too on the nose. Instead she follows behind as the halls get less wide and more dim. Finally, she finds herself in a cement block room facing down an attendant who probably just wants to go on his supper break.</p>
<p>"Hi, Thomas," Portia greets and her smile is friendly (it doesn't surprise Gia to learn that Portia has made friends with everyone in the few short weeks she has worked here). "I know this is a bit unusual but I need to see Marcus before the funeral home comes to get him. Well…" She glances over her shoulder at Gia. "...she does. This is his sister."</p>
<p>Again, there is that look of sympathy that grinds into Gia in a way she can't quite describe.</p>
<p>Part of her expects to be turned away. She is prepared for that. She is prepared to argue herself into the morgue. She is good at what she does. Thomas, the hungry attendant, will not know what hit him. But in the end, Portia's smile apparently carries a lot of weight. The two of them are taken into the morgue to watch as Thomas counts off cold chambers like he's afraid he is going to pull out the wrong one.</p>
<p>"Can I do this alone?" Gia asks, her eyes on the metal door that separates her from her brother.</p>
<p>"Gia, I don't know…"</p>
<p>"I need to do this alone," she repeats and there is a hint of her ability to fight tooth and nail coming to the surface.</p>
<p>Portia relents. "We'll be right outside," she says quietly and her hand comes to touch Gia's shoulder. It is a soft gesture and one that nearly crumbles her.</p>
<p>(<i>not yet, not yet</i>)</p>
<p>Thomas is the one to pull back the zipper and part the body bag. He retreats as Gia slowly moves forward, bracing herself at what she might see. She has to press a hand to her stomach in hopes of settling her nerves.</p>
<p>"Oh, <i>Marcus</i>…" The words come out in a rush, as do the tears. She can't stop them now even if she tries. He looks nothing like the brother she remembers. The greyish hue of his skin, the way his jaw seems to be set so tightly that his face is locked in a grimace. Was he in pain when he died? She hopes not. He doesn't deserve that (he doesn't deserve to be lying here at all).</p>
<p>It takes more courage than she thought it would to reach out and touch him (she shouldn't, she wants to remember him warm and alive; but she can't stop herself). As her fingers land on his cheek, she bends her head and her knees nearly buckle underneath her. "This wasn't supposed to happen," she says quietly. "You were supposed to always be there for me. You promised me that day - and then you promised me again when Mom died." She closes her eyes, her hand falling away.</p>
<p>"You were always supposed to be there to protect my daughter."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for the wonderful response for the first chapter. I am glad that there are people who are willing to ride this train with you. I hope to do it justice. Just remember that there are AU elements to this story. When I look at the past, I am fudging a few things but it will keep in the spirit of how things went. I hope to make this twist in GH history as realistic as possible. Also, whichever version of Nik you want to picture here, go for it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gia tells herself this may be harder than seeing Marcus, strange as it sounds.</p>
<p>She reasons it is because there is nothing more that she can do for her brother. He is gone and nothing she does will change that (as much as she wants to; she has visions of fighting Death itself but there are nothing more than the sleep deprived dreams of someone who has been deeply wounded).</p>
<p>But Trina…</p>
<p>
  <i>...oh Trina.<i></i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>Trina is very much alive and she will need Gia to act on that fact. She can't help but let the thought scare her just a little. What if she does the wrong thing? Chooses the wrong words? Gia has never been good at diverting her attention when she is hurting. Sometimes she can only see her own pain and she moves to mitigate it without thinking of how her actions will impact others. She has always been just on the wrong side of selfishness and even though she likes to think that she has matured over the years, part of her is terrified that she will revert back to that in order to protect herself.</p>
<p>She only has to think of her mother's passing to prove that. She had leaned so heavily on Marcus, monopolizing his time and never once thinking that he had his own loss to contend with. Now she doesn't have her brother to hold her up. She only has Trina, and her niece is the one who needs someone to keep her on her feet.</p>
<p>When Portia opens the door, there is a moment. Both of them feel it but Gia is willing to bet that they will never speak on it. Portia stands tall in the door frame as if to block Gia from coming. There is a look in her eyes, as if she is afraid that Gia is going to invade and take the most precious thing she has from her.</p>
<p>(it's far too late for that, isn't it?)</p>
<p>Finally, Gia is allowed entrance. She steps into the apartment, her eyes traveling around the room. There is a warmth present, a sense that the place is lived in but yet not a thing is out of order. Portia has always prided herself on how things appear to others (not that Gia faults her for that). She turns back to her sister-in-law (does she still call her that?) and offers a conciliatory smile. "This is a nice place."</p>
<p>It takes a moment but Portia nods in agreement. "I wanted something close to the hospital but also close to the school," she explains, almost as if she has to defend her choice. Gia wishes she could assure Portia that she does not but she feels like she would be opening a can of worms that isn't ready to be tampered with quite yet. "It's taken a bit of work but it feels like home."</p>
<p>No argument there.</p>
<p>Gia moves further into the apartment, her eyes drawn to the pictures on the wall. She tracks Trina's growth through a series of snapshots, moving quickly through the years to the young woman she is now. She feels that twist of her stomach that she has come to know all too well in the last few days. Marcus is in most of the pictures - first holding Trina's hand when she is barely old enough to walk and lastly pulling her into a hug that her teenage niece would find wholly uncool. Gia gets it. She had done the same thing to Marcus when she was Trina's age, pushing against his strong shoulders and shrieking as he had tried to kiss her forehead. It is easy to look back and regret pulling away now (something she is sure that Trina is doing as well). Without thinking, Gia reaches up to trace her finger across the latest photo before she turns back to Portia. "Where's Trina?"</p>
<p>"In her room," Portia explains. "She's been there most of the day."</p>
<p>Gia nods as if she fully understands how Trina thinks. She may be able to claim that there is a link that exists only between them but that doesn't mean she hasn't spent most of the last sixteen years as more of an outsider, watching from afar. She doesn't wait for Portia to lead her. Instead she steps into the hallway, her eyes falling on the closed door. She needs to do right by Trina, as she has always tried to.</p>
<p>Her hand comes up and presses against the door. She waits a beat or two to see if she can hear anything on the other side. <i>Nothing</i>. There is something so heavy about this kind of silence and it threatens to weigh her down. But then she is pulling herself free of it, knocking lightly and calling out. "Trina?" There is a sound now, small but discernible. "I'm coming in."</p>
<p>When she pushes open the barrier between them she finds Trina laying on her side in her bed. The teenager shifts her gaze towards Gia and then sits up a little. "Aunt Gia…"</p>
<p>The tone in Trina's voice breaks something in her. She doesn't have to think about it (or more accurately, <i>overthink</i>). She moves forward, crawling into the bed. Her arms go around Trina and she pulls her in tight. She buries her head in the crown of Trina's head and for a moment, she can only think of one thing.</p>
<p>
  <i>Her baby.</i>
</p>
<p>In the end, they settle into a more comfortable position, with Trina resting her head on Gia's shoulder. Gia has an arm around her, shifting her head enough so that her chin touches Trina's forehead. She is content to stay like this as long as Trina needs her to.</p>
<p>(in the end, it is not about choosing the right words, it is about giving off the right feeling)</p>
<p>When Portia finally comes to stand in the doorway, Gia looks up. She is surprised that Portia has given them this much time alone (part of her wonders if Portia has been leaning against the hallway listening for anything that might crumble her world further). Gia feels it again - the barest hint of hostility from the other woman. She tries to tell herself that it is to be expected, given the entirety of the situation. But still, part of her is angry that Portia thinks she has flown here for any other reason than to mourn her brother and comfort her niece.</p>
<p>"Are you hungry, baby?" Portia offers when Trina finally acknowledges her.</p>
<p>Trina seems to consider the question for a moment, her head raising slightly. But then she is flopping back down on Gia, her swinging over Gia's midsection as if she is about to hold onto for dear life.</p>
<p>Gia doesn't need to look up to see the hurt on Portia's face.</p>
<p>She can <i>feel</i> it.</p>
<p>
  <b>X</b>
</p>
<p>Gia should go back to the Metro Court. She's exhausted, despite her best efforts to sleep after she left the hospital the day before. She wonders now that she has seen Trina (held her and promised her that she will do whatever it takes) that she might be able to rest.</p>
<p>Instead she is on the waterfront.</p>
<p>If there is any place that feels familiar in Port Charles it is this one. She has stood her many times, often in the same position as she stands now. Her body is facing the water and her eyes are on the island taking up space in the middle. She can practically trace the path the launch takes to get from one side to the other. She can see the stairs she will need to climb to get to Wyndemere.</p>
<p>It still stands as it always has.</p>
<p>Some things are not meant to change.</p>
<p>
  <b>X</b>
</p>
<p>( before )</p>
<p>Gia often feels like she is talking to herself. Or in circles. Or to herself in circles. She pokes at her meal, not really caring that it has probably taken the staff precious time to make. At one point (not that long ago actually), she had reveled in that fact. She had a whole staff whose sole job was to ensure she and the prince of the house had everything they wanted.</p>
<p>She won't lie. She has enjoyed playing princess.</p>
<p>But the cost has been high.</p>
<p>She steals a glance at Nikolas, noting the way his features darken. There are too many people pulling at him, wanting to yank him in different directions. She knows she is included in that but somehow she feels like she has the right. She has a ring on her finger to prove it.</p>
<p>Gia stands, grabbing her plate and moving toward him. When he looks up at her, she does her best to project the same air of confidence that had pulled him towards her in the first place. "Come on," she begins. "Let's go eat in the study. We can curl up on the cushions in front of the fire." She doesn't care that the staff is panicking at the idea of having to transport the myriad of silverware with them. They only need a fork, their plates and each other. "It will be like we're at the cottage again. Much less stuffy than this…"</p>
<p>He appears to be considering it and she wonders how much he wishes for that cottage again. Or at least the simplicity it had offered him. "I don't know…" he begins. "The moment we get comfortable my phone will ring. Grandmother…" And Gia does everything she can not to visibly react to the idea of Helena Cassadine. "...wants to discuss a few things. Tomorrow maybe?"</p>
<p>It is never going to happen.</p>
<p>Gia's smile fades and her features darken enough to give him warning. "Suit yourself." She abandons the plate in the space next to his. She is not really hungry anyway.</p>
<p>
  <b>X</b>
</p>
<p>Maybe it is unfair to pin the downfall of a relationship on a structure but standing here, well over a decade later, Gia can't help but feel like there is some truth to the idea. After all, Wyndemere is not just any building. It is the physical manifestation of the Cassadine family and given their sordid history, she thinks it is entirely possible that something malevolent has been woven into the walls of that gloomy castle.</p>
<p>(the fact so much death has occurred in such a small space seems to back up her theory)</p>
<p>Gia wraps her arms around herself, wondering if Jake's still exists. She could use a drink. Maybe two. Just enough to take the edge off and help her finally get a few hours of interrupted sleep. She turns away from the water (from Spoon Island) and finds herself face to face with an elegantly dressed blonde.</p>
<p>"Admiring the view?" the newcomer asks.</p>
<p>Gia forces herself not to laugh. "Something like that."</p>
<p>There must be a twinge in the way she says the words because her new companion continues. "Yes, it is a bit much," she agrees and then smiles, her red lip standing out against her white teeth. "But it's home."</p>
<p>That catches Gia off guard. "You live there?"</p>
<p>There is an attempt at a demure shrug (hard to pull off when there are diamonds in her ears). "Of course - the wife of the Cassadine prince has to have her castle," she says, and there is a laugh that Gia can't quite register. She is too busy taking in the new information.</p>
<p>This woman is a Cassadine.</p>
<p>This woman is Nikolas' wife.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Part 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for your continued support. I just wanted to let you know that updates to my fanfics won't be as regular as they were in July and August. I am back at work and for the first few weeks have been swamped. Rest assured, updates will come, just not like they used to.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gia plays dumb. She is good at it. She has always been underestimated and she isn't above twisting that to her advantage. "Wait, wait, wait," she says with a bit of an incredulous laugh. "You're telling me an actual <i>prince</i> lives there…" She jerks her head towards Spoon Island.</p>
<p>"An obscure one, mind you but yes," the blonde answers immediately, as if she is used to defending her position in the world. "Prince Nikolas Mikail Stavrosovich Cassadine." This a regal air to the words that fall out of her lips.</p>
<p>Gia raises a brow. "What a mouthful," she retorts, trying to act disinterested but for some reason hearing Nikolas' name aloud touches something in her. She hopes her face is passive. "Never heard of him." Not her best lie but certainly not her worst. "But hey, married to a prince - that's got to have its perks huh?"</p>
<p>Although she has not thought about Nikolas (romantically at least; there are other ways to think about him of course) in years, Gia can't help but slip easily into a moment where she and the current Mrs. Cassadine are playing opposite roles. She is the one draped in excess, lording over a commoner on the docks. The Gia that had met Nikolas all those years ago might have gone for that sort of thing but she likes to think that she has moved past that. She doesn't need possessions (although, some are nice - let's not make her out to be a saint). She doesn't need money (she has her own that she has worked damn hard for). She doesn't need a title. Especially that one.</p>
<p><i>The Cassadine Princess</i>.</p>
<p>God knows what her life would be now if she had fought tooth and nail to ensure that she had been the one to wear that crown. Because that is what she would have had to do: <b>fight</b>. Nikolas' attention had been pulled in so many directions at that point in their relationship that she had been lucky to have the piece of him that she did. She has never seen walking away from him as giving up. It had been one of those moments in her life where she took a look at her self worth and let it tell her which way she should go.</p>
<p>(of course a few weeks later, her moment of triumph would seem moot compared to what had come next)</p>
<p>"Ava," the woman says, sticking her hand out for Gia to take.</p>
<p>It is only then that Gia realizes Ava has been talking this entire time. She hopes her face shows interest at least, even as her mind warped the situation. She takes a deep breath, determined to stay in the present (at least in this moment). "Gia." She takes Ava's hands, searching the other woman's face for any hint of recognition. Even the smallest one. When Ava's face remains passive, Gia wonders if she hasn't even rated on Nikolas Cassadine's Greatest Hits.</p>
<p>She won't lie - that thought stings a little.</p>
<p>(especially considering…)</p>
<p>Thankfully the launch bumps against the wharf as it docks to take the stunning Cassadine princess back to her prince. Gia glances back at it and then to Ava, her hand falling away. "Your chariot awaits I guess," she says, with just the tiniest snap in her voice. She mentally curses herself for letting it happen. She should not be this bothered by the idea of Nikolas having a wife (Ava isn't even his first since her). She blames the entire situation - being in Port Charles, losing her brother, seeing Trina. She would have only needed one to be vulnerable. Lucky her, she has all three.</p>
<p>Ava is looking at her differently now. But it is not the recognition that Gia craves for some reason. Instead there is the barest hint of suspicion. Gia's attempts at playing the role of the uninitiated tourist has failed her. "Will I see you around?" Ava asks, and she sounds hopeful. Only Gia has made a living off reading the nuances of people. Ava is wondering if she will find Gia staring at Wyndemere in contemplation (and yes, a <i>hint</i> of longing) once more.</p>
<p>"Probably not." Gia has reined herself in, pushing hard against the warring emotions inside of her. "I am just here on business." The lie tastes bitter in her mouth and it is all she can do to smile at Ava before leaving her to return to her husband.</p>
<p>(Nikolas; Gia's almost husband)</p>
<p>
  <b>X</b>
</p>
<p>This time she returns to the Metro Court. She does not want to make any more stops on her Tour of the Past. Only when she sees Carly Corinthos standing behind the bar, she reminds herself that not all tours involve walking. She makes a face and decides to go to her room instead. She has a mini bar she can raid. She turns on her heel and gets a step before Carly's voice echoes across the dining space.</p>
<p>"Gia!"</p>
<p>It is so loud that she cannot even pretend she didn't hear her. She momentarily curses her innate desire to numb herself. Experience has taught her that running away from Carly is the exact opposite of what she should do, even if she wants to. So, she gives herself a moment to mourn her freedom and then turns, her face passive. "Carly."</p>
<p>"I thought that was you," Carly says as she moves through the crowd. Some have turned their heads to witness the reunion, no doubt lured in by Carly's booming shout. She is one step away from Gia when her face falls. "<i>Oh</i>, of course…"</p>
<p>She is just now putting together the pieces as to why Gia is standing there.</p>
<p>It feels strange when Carly slips her arms around her. Gia is pulled into a hug and she can do nothing but give Carly a hug in return (well, she can protest but causing a scene is not on her list of things to do today). When Carly finally (<i>thankfully</i>) pulls back, Gia is left standing ramrod straight with a fracture of a smile on her face.</p>
<p>"I am so sorry about Taggert," Carly says.</p>
<p>That barest hint of a smile falls away because she doubts Carly really is. For as long as Marcus had been in Port Charles he had made it his mission to put Sonny behind bars. She is still working out all the details on why he had bothered to come back (or how Portia and Trina ended up there of all places) but she knows one thing - Marcus and Sonny Corinthos cannot co-exist peacefully in the same city. So really, Carly and her criminal husband must be breathing a sigh of relief that he is gone.</p>
<p>Still, she has to take the fake sympathy and pretend it means something. "Thank you," she says quietly. "It caught me off guard and I am still processing it."</p>
<p>"I can only imagine," Carly says and she lays a hand on Gia's arm. For a moment, Gia pictures the two of them standing in the hotel that came before this one, scheming to ensure that Gia got her shot. The Face of Deception - a fitting title for the two of them. Then and now. "Joss is so worried about Trina…"</p>
<p>Once again, Gia is pulled to the present. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Joss?"</p>
<p>"My daughter, Josslyn," Carly explains. The name hits on something in Gia's subconscious. She hears the name, only this time spoken by Trina in an excited tone on one of their brief phone conversations. "She and Trina are so close."</p>
<p>Gia tries to picture it. Her daughter and Carly's - their heads together in a manner reminiscent of their mothers. But then she reminds herself of two things: no child is destined to follow exactly in their parent's footsteps and Trina is <i>not</i> her daughter. At least not in any way it counts. Portia has raised her since she was a few months old. She is the one who has imprinted her values, her morals onto that girl. Trina is a reflection of Portia, not her. Because of that Trina has a good head on her shoulders. She is not desperate for attention and recognition in the same way Gia was at her age. The decisions Trina makes are bound to be more solid than any Gia would have made.</p>
<p>She really should thank Portia for that more often - but sometimes the words taste bitter in her mouth.</p>
<p>"I hadn't realized that when she said Josslyn she was talking about your daughter," Gia admits. Once again, she wishes that Portia had moved to any city but Port Charles. She had to have known that she was placing Trina close to the epicenter of it all. Gia knows that she lost the right to make any true decisions in that regard a long time ago but had she had a say, she would have pointed out that Portia was making a mistake. The heart of the threat against Trina might have died years ago but that does not make Port Charles an entirely safe choice.</p>
<p>Case in point: Trina's best friend is the daughter of Carly Corinthos, which puts her in close proximity to Sonny Corinthos.</p>
<p>She bet Marcus had been thrilled by that little tidbit.</p>
<p>Carly nods her head. "Yes, my daughter. Trina has been such a good friend to Joss, especially after Joss lost someone she loved. I know Joss feels like this is a chance for her to return the favor. She wants to help Trina in any way she can."</p>
<p>Despite the unfortunate connection Gia does feel warmed by the thought of Trina having a friend like that. It is not something that she can truly claim to have. She tends to burn bridges the moment they get sturdy. Another character flaw that has not passed on to her daughter. "I am glad that Trina has her then. She will need her. I know how much she loved her father." It never feels strange to call Marcus that despite her complicated feelings for Portia. She knows she is biased when it comes to her brother but she truly believes that he has done everything he can to ensure that Trina has the life she deserves - one full of love and free from the darkness that comes with being a Cassadine.</p>
<p>"Any time Trina needs her, Joss will be there," Carly says quietly.</p>
<p>Gia manages to smile again. This one is more real than the one she tried to give Carly moments ago. "Please tell her thanks from me." Joss may or may not know of Trina's wayward aunt. She has no idea how Trina explains her to others (and she may never want to truly know) but she wants Joss to understand that she is appreciative of those who take care of Trina at a time like this. She supposes that she can worry about Joss's parentage down the road.</p>
<p>One crisis at a time and all that.</p>
<p>She feels like she has reached her limit for forced interactions at the moment. She looks over her head. "Well, I should get back to my room…"</p>
<p>"You're staying here?" Carly asks and then doesn't even wait for an answer. "Feel free to order room service, go to the spa - anything you need to help you in this time. On me of course."</p>
<p>"That's awfully kind but…"</p>
<p>"As the owner, I insist."</p>
<p>Gia nearly snorts a laugh as she digests this new bit of information. See, perfect proof that you can't come to Port Charles without getting all tangled up in it.</p>
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<p>A few hours later, she is just shy of drunk.</p>
<p>Gia is not proud of herself. She has taken up Carly's <i>generous</i> offer and cleared out the minibar. A few straight shots of vodka later and she is sitting on the edge of her bed wondering what she is going to do. She had known that coming here would be harder than she could ever wrap her head around. It is not just being back in Port Charles and the memories it has drudged up. It is being around her daughter. It is seeing her in pain and not being able to fully wrap her arms around her and pull her free from it. That is not her place.</p>
<p>But she could not have stayed away. This is Marcus. She owes him so much, including a proper goodbye.</p>
<p>She looks down at the small bottle in her hands and twists it to check that <i>yes</i>, it is empty. Sighing, she lets it fall with the others and can't help but giggle when the bottles clink together.</p>
<p>Gia stands, feeling the room spin just a little. She walks a beat or two before she catches sight of herself in the mirror. She looks just how she feels. Perhaps a shower is for the best. She rights her course, heading towards the bathroom when a knock comes to the door. For a moment, she is confused. Did she order food? She should have ordered food to offset the alcohol but <i>did she</i>?</p>
<p>She makes a face and then moves to the door, fumbling with the lock and pulling it back. It's not food. It is a straight jolt to the system. She stands there, her entire being going numb. Then she manages to speak.</p>
<p>"<i>Nikolas</i>…"</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Part 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for your continued support! I am having a blast writing this. It is fun to play around with history and bend it just a little to create a new timeline.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She finds herself thinking of the phrase '<i>sobering up</i>'. Seeing Nikolas standing there after all these years, she hopes that there is some truth to those words. That his presence alone can clear the fog from her mind and she will be sharp as a tack in the conversation that is about to occur.</p>
<p>No such luck.</p>
<p>In fact, Gia is quite sure that she can feel the alcohol twisting around in her bloodstream, moving through her body in an effort to keep her off kilter. She reaches out to curl her fingers around the open door, using it as a brace to keep her steady. The last thing she wants to do is stumble around on what she can call her home turf. She has the advantage here. She can shut the door in his face if she wants. Instead she gestures for him to come in - which he does of course.</p>
<p>Her eyes on his back, as her muddled brain tries to deal with the conflicting emotions of seeing him again after all these years. Especially considering at one point she had thought he was dead (the day Marcus had shared that news with her was a devastating one; mostly because she couldn't help but think what Trina had unknowingly lost). It had only been a few months before that she had learned that it simply wasn't true - Nikolas had been alive all along.</p>
<p>In some ways, she thinks she is still processing that.</p>
<p>Finally, Nikolas turns back so that he is facing her. For a moment they eye one another, taking in the subtle changes that the passage of time has brought. She can't help but feel like they are also sizing one another up and that there is a battle about to ensue. It is a silly thought because Nikolas doesn't know a fraction of what she does. He has no idea that he even has something to fight for. <i>Which means<i>, she realizes with a strange sort of excitement that she has no business feeling, <i>that he came here solely to see me</i>.</i></i></p><p>
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<p>She finally closes the door, leaning against it subtly to keep from staggering back into the room. "How did you find me?"</p>
<p>"My wife," he answers immediately, as if he had known that question would be the first one out of her mouth. She reminds herself that time has passed, they have loved other people (perhaps more strongly than they had loved one another) - he has long ago lost the ability to read her mind. Any notion otherwise is simply projection on her part. Coming here, especially in the raw state that she has, is bound to dig up long dead emotions. In a day or two they will settle.</p>
<p>"Ah, right, the lovely Mrs. Cassadine," Gia says, the words pouring out of her mouth quickly. Sharply. Perhaps she had read the situation wrong. Perhaps Ava had known all along just who she was talking too and just had been better at guarding her reactions.</p>
<p>"Imagine my surprise when she told me she had met a charming woman by the launch - someone named Gia…" Nikolas tilts his head and for a moment she wonders if he is trying to decide if she is really here or not (while cursing the fact that she had emptied out the mini bar). "It could have been a coincidence - but I stopped believing in those a long time ago."</p>
<p>"I am far from the only Gia in the world," she points out, pressing her palms flat against the door. This is not how she has imagined their first conversation going (because she knows it has been coming).</p>
<p>"But you're the only Gia I know," he reasons with a shrug of his shoulders. "And it wasn't hard to ring the front desk and find out the rest."</p>
<p>"They just gave that information away?"</p>
<p>"I may have used a tiny bit of influence," he concedes and there is a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips, as if he is proud that he has barrelled his way into her life this late at night.</p>
<p>Gia shakes her head. "Throwing around the Cassadine name," she begins. "I guess that means you have fully embraced it...and <i>everything</i> that comes with it." She thinks of how hard he had struggled to stand on his own two feet, to make a name for himself that didn't rely heavily on the one he had been given at birth. She had supported him every step of the way (and loved him for it).</p>
<p>If her not so subtle jab stings him, he does not show it. Instead he presses his lips together and lets her accusation fall to the floor between them. After waiting a beat or two, his features soften. "I am sorry about your brother, Gia," he says quietly. "I know how much Marcus meant to you."</p>
<p>Despite being tired of hearing it, the kindness in his voice touches something in her. She feels the familiar trappings of grief claw at her and finally stumbles away from the door in search of a chair. She is weighed down by her pain and she doesn't know how to get herself out from underneath it. She has always prided herself on being a fighter but she thinks the secret to her success had been knowing that Marcus was in her corner. Without him, she feels weak. Foolish.</p>
<p>Gia doesn't even realize she is blindly seeking out a place to land until Nikolas' hands circle around her arms. She reacts as if she has been burned, pulling herself away from him and overcorrecting too much as she does so. As a result, she lands hard on her ass on the floor, hardly a dignified look especially given who she is taking to. She tips her head back to look up at him.</p>
<p>Nikolas looks perplexed. Then he shakes his head. "You're drunk." It's not a question. Instead it is a simple statement of fact which he confirms when he turns his head to see the alcohol bottles neatly gathered on the dresser.</p>
<p>Gia feels her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She would very much like to crawl on her hands and knees and hide until the bed but somehow she doesn't think that will help her situation. So for now, she stays on the floor, although she does her best to avoid looking at him in the eyes. "Grief does funny things to people," she says sharply.</p>
<p>Nikolas fills her vision within seconds and she realizes that he has crouched down beside her. She wants to laugh at the thought of royalty crouching in a hotel room but she can't quite bring herself to make the sound. He nods his head at her statement. "It does." He is quiet for a moment or two and then settles properly beside her so that they are both sitting on the floor.</p>
<p>This time the laugh does come.</p>
<p>He ignores it, no doubt not fully understanding its context. She wonders if he still can see himself as just another man while at the same time bribing people to get what he wants. "Look, Gia, the pain you feel right now…"</p>
<p>No, no, no. She doesn't want to let him go through that particular door. He may have gotten through the first one tonight but she is keeping this one closed tightly no matter how hard he pushes against it. This is not a conversation to have with someone who left your life so long ago (<i>the father of her daughter</i>, something in her mind points out; <i>he is the father of your daughter</i>).</p>
<p>"Look, Nikolas, I don't need a lesson on my pain," she says and she wants to push herself back to her feet but somehow thinks it is better to stay where she is. At least here, she can't further embarrass herself. She has already gotten as low as she can go (well, physically at least). "Unfortunately, we both know what it is like to lose someone - and lose them before we should. I don't need to hear that the pain will fade with time. I know it will…" And yet, it will also still rear its ugly head when she thinks she is having a good day and bring her to her knees; that is the future that awaits her. "So if you came here to give me platitudes, please know that I have heard them all already."</p>
<p>For the moment the two of them just sit on the floor of her room. She can't help but pull her knees up so she can rest her chin on them, unaware of the way he looks at her when she does so. She stares straight ahead and tries to think of where the conversation can go from here. She has to be so careful. <i>So careful</i>. There is one thing that she can say that will practically turn everything upside down. Given that, it is no surprise that it is dancing around on the tip of her tongue right now, begging to be let out.</p>
<p>In the end, it is the thought of what it will do to Trina that keeps it there (and yes, maybe even sobers her up just a little).</p>
<p>"I didn't come here to do that," he confesses after the silence drags out for far too long. "I just heard your name and I had to come see…"</p>
<p>Gia makes a face, scrunching up her nose as does so. "Morbid curiosity," she concludes.</p>
<p>"Maybe a little," he says with a nod of his head and then holds a hand up when she swiftly turns her gaze on him. "Those were your words, Gia. You can't fault me for agreeing. But seriously, I wanted to see you. To see if it was you - and to make sure that you were all right."</p>
<p>"Obviously, I am not. And I won't be for a while. But that is to be expected for a person in my position," she points out. Grief is a part of life. There are steps she must take and they are familiar to anyone who has lost someone. "You could have just called."</p>
<p>It is if he has realized that truth for the first time. She has a moment to imagine him moving through Wyndemere with a purpose, so stuck on the idea of seeing her again that he doesn't employ logic. It is a vision he all but confirms a moment later by shaking his head. "It wouldn't be the same."</p>
<p>Gia sighs. "I should have just gotten on the launch earlier tonight. It would have been easier. I would have gotten this conversation over with and not had the hangover in the morning to regret." Maybe. Or maybe she would have visited Nikolas and still come back here to drink herself stupid. She can't really say how things would have played out - especially since she is fighting for control of herself more often than not right now (understandably so, given all that is going on around her).</p>
<p>Nikolas looks as if he is not happy to be placed on a checklist of things Gia has to do while in Port Charles. She doesn't care if he likes it or not. On the surface, they have a shared past that is simple enough. Each other's first serious relationship. That means something even now but it is more like a bittersweet memory than anything that needs to be taken seriously. Of course, that is just on the surface. Most don't have the luxury of knowing what she does.</p>
<p>For the first time since he arrived at her door, Gia <i>really</i> looks at him. She focuses enough to trace the lines of his face and realizes that there are parts of him that are reflected in Trina. It is not obvious of course. If Nikolas and Trina were to come face to face they wouldn't see it.</p>
<p>But she does.</p>
<p>She lets her head fall onto her knees once more, pressing down and pushing back at the ache that hits her. She can't think this way. It is not a viable line of thought and it will only hurt her in the end. She has enough pain to deal with as it is.</p>
<p>"You know you left town without saying goodbye," Nikolas finally says, as if he wants to dig in his heels a little. The fact that he is using something from over a decade ago to do so seemingly makes no difference to him.</p>
<p>"We were broken up by then. You had your own thing going on," she answers. It is the truth. Her last few weeks in Port Charles had been messy - first a break up, then the earth shattering truth that had nearly undone that (just imagine what would have happened if there had been no intervention, her brain unfairly teases). "I didn't think you would even notice."</p>
<p>"I noticed."</p>
<p>Gia shifts her head to look at him. The alcohol has settled into her system, making her feel sluggish and nauseous. He is still on the floor beside her, looking dreadfully out of place and right at home at the same time. "For what it's worth, I really was glad to hear that you were alive."</p>
<p>Nikolas chuckles. "Well, I am beginning to think that makes one of you."</p>
<p>He helps her up a moment later and this time she accepts it. She is in no condition to take that shower now and allows him to seat her on the bed. She keeps herself from falling back automatically, looking up at him once more.</p>
<p>"Thank you," she says. "For what you said about Marcus."</p>
<p>He nods his head and then leaves her with her thoughts.</p>
<p>(not exactly the best company right now)</p>
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